


Explaining

by forabeatofadrum (maanorchidee)



Category: Glee
Genre: Deaf Blaine, Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 05:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11075148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maanorchidee/pseuds/forabeatofadrum
Summary: When the entire family is together, people start to ask questions.





	Explaining

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adiwriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adiwriting/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Hearing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018141) by [adiwriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adiwriting/pseuds/adiwriting). 



> Notes: Hi.
> 
> It’s me again. I loved writing Lecturing, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t dive in this verse again, because honestly, I didn’t feel the need to. After all, it is adiwriting‘s verse, and it exists in perfection without my additions.
> 
> But something happened in my family a while ago. Something involving my adoption, and the girls (Mei, Maddy, and Li) have been so helpful to me over the past few years. No really, every time I need to explain something about adoption, I use the girls. And honestly, even when I’m feeling pretty low every now and then, the fact that these girls exist makes everything better.
> 
> I JUST FUCKING LOVE THESE GIRLS. 
> 
> So, this story is me expressing myself and idk, sorting things out through the girls and their extended families. Yes, I’m going to use Hannah, Taylor, Riley, Shawn, and Aaron, aka their cousins. One thing though: in order to make this work, I changed the ages of Shawn and Aaron. Agewise, they’re close to the girls, but in this fic, Mei will be 18, Maddy and Li will be 12, Shawn will be 9, and Aaron will be 7.

Thanksgiving is usually in New York, but this time, Cooper insisted on hosting. The family understood, since Hannah recently broke her ankle and travelling is exhausting for her. Cooper and his wife even invited Finn’s family, Bill, and Burt and Carole, so it wasn’t that big of a problem.

Besides, Cooper and Finn have bonded over sports, so of course, Burt joins the conversation. Before they know it, everyone’s chatting happily. Cooper had hired a catering service, and not an hour later, everyone’s having dinner.

Mei is showing her cousins all kind of tricks with her fork. It always annoys her sisters, but Hannah and Taylor are loving it.

LOOK AT MEI BEING SO HAPPY WITH THE OTHERS, Kurt signs to Blaine. They’re both a little bit mellow, since Mei’s started senior year and she will probably move out to go to Gallaudet.

SHE MUST’VE GOTTEN THAT FROM HER FATHER, Blaine signs back.

OH DAD, Mei signs, and she clutches her chest in an over-dramatic way, I AM SO SORRY I AM THE ONE WHO HAS TO TELL YOU THIS, BUT… I AM ADOPTED.

The other family members laugh. This is a running joke in the Hummel-Anderson family. Every time the dads say something similar to that, either Mei or Li pretend that they have to be the ones to tell them the big news: they’re adopted!

YOU’RE ADOPTED? Cooper signs, faking shock, OH MY! I NEVER KNEW!

More laughter. 

UNCLE COOPER, DID YOU NEVER KNOW WE’RE CHINESE? Li adds and laughs. 

Cooper pretends to faint. It is all new information, he can’t take it! Maddy joins him, since she never passes an opportunity to act dramatically.

The others continue to chat, until Aaron moves closer to Mei and her sisters. At first, Mei thinks Aaron wants to watch Mei doing more tricks, but then something else happens.

WHY ARE YOU AND LI ADOPTED? he asks. Mei’s so taken aback by the question that she forgets to compliment him on his signing skills.

Because honestly, no one in the family has ever asked her this before. To the aunts, uncles, and grandparents it’s obvious. The other cousins never asked them about it, since they’ve all grown up together, and when you’re children together it’s different. Rowan and Aaron are definitely years apart from Mei and her sisters.

People always assume that the Hummel-Hudson family is different, since two of the three children are adopted, but that’s not true. It’s not like Maddy gets special treatment because she’s the only “real” daughter. Then again, Mei and Li are real daughters as well.

Sure, there’s some sense of jealousy. Li has told Maddy that she always feels left out when people compliment Maddy on her appearance, and then say something like: “What did you expect? She’s Blaine and Dani’s kid”, but that jealousy was caused by people outside of the family, not by people inside of the family.

Their dads never make any daughter feel less. For Mei, it took a little bit longer to realise that, but it’s true. And their cousins never treated her or Li different from others. What do people expect? Do people think Riley will greet the famly like: “Hey cousin Maddy, hey adopted cousin Mei, hey adopted cousin Li, hey cousin Jessica”? 

So when Aaron asks Mei that, she takes her time to answer.

YOU DO KNOW WE’RE FROM CHINA, RIGHT? she asks and Aaron nods. Shawn also moves closer to look, and Mei mentally thanks Cooper’s wife for making the entire family learn ASL.

YES!

OKAY, SO IN CHINA, LI AND I DIDN’T HAVE PARENTS, BUT WE NEEDED PARENTS TO CARE FOR US, AND OUR DADS WANTED TO CARE FOR US, SO THEY ARE OUR PARENTS NOW. 

Out of the corner of Mei’s eyes, she can see every adult watching the exchange. Blaine nods to her, making sure that she knows that she should continue.

YOU DIDN’T HAVE PARENTS IN CHINA? Aaron asks, puzzled. Others laugh.

Mei should’ve worded that differently.

WELL, WE DID, she signs slowly, EVERYONE HAS PARENTS. EVERYONE COMES OUT OF A MOMMY’S BELLY, JUST LIKE YOU. LI AND I COME FROM MOMMY’S BELLIES AS WELL.

THEN WHY AREN’T YOU WITH YOUR MOM? 

BECAUSE SOMETIMES, THINGS HAPPEN, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, LI AND I COULDN’T STAY WITH OUR PARENTS IN CHINA, Mei explains and she looks over to Li. Li shakes her head. She definitely want Mei to do the talking.

IS THAT SAD? Aaron does look sad, but most of the time people think it’s something to be sorry for. All three the girls have lost count of how many times people have responded with  _“You’re adopted? I am so sorry!”_ or  _“Your sisters are adopted? I’m so sorry for them.”_

Sure, they laugh about it, but deep inside, it kind of hurts that people automatically assume that their fathers treat Mei and Li differently or less than Maddy.

Yet, there is a small truth to it. Mei is the example of that, but that once again is because of things that happen outside the family.

SOMETIMES, Mei admits, BUT LI AND I ARE VERY HAPPY. OUR PARENTS ARE THE BEST, AND MADDY IS AN AMAZING SISTER. SO WHEN IT DOES FEEL SAD, WE REMIND OURSELVES OF HOW MUCH WE LOVE EACH OTHER AND IT’S NO LONGER SAD.

It is a very basic explanation, but Aaron is seven after all. 

OKAY, he signs, CAN YOU DO THE FORK TRICK AGAIN?

Shawn nods eagerly.

With pleasure, Mei continues her trickery, but she keeps replaying the conversation in her head. Her fathers are beaming with pride, and her sisters are impressed as well by how she handled it. She can see Finn and his wife talking to each other, and every now and then, they take a look at Aaron.

Luckily, Finn starts to sign the story of how he once shot himself in his leg when he tried the military life, and slowly, Mei stops concentrating on the conversation between her and Aaron.

That doesn’t mean she will forget it. She’ll probably think about it a lot, but right now, she just watches her extended family being invested in Finn’s story. It’s a great family, and she really is happy that she ended up in it with Li.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you're interested, here are my notes while writing this: http://forabeatofadrum.tumblr.com/post/161290348908/im-going-to-publish-these-since-they-amuse-me


End file.
